


I'm gonna make you po ♡ pu ♡ lar ♡

by ElopeToTheSea



Series: I Love Play Rehearsal [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Crushes, Emo Gay Mess Riku, Love Confessions, M/M, Make-overs, Pining, Popular Girl Kairi, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Theatre Kid Sora, kairi and rikus friendship is the reason why i breathe leave me alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23075587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElopeToTheSea/pseuds/ElopeToTheSea
Summary: “I joined the music club, hoping I could see a familiar face there, but you weren’t there! What happened? You quit?”“Not exactly…” he said. “I joined the theatre club.”“Theatre?” she asked, completely puzzled. “Why would you go into theatre-”She gasped. Loudly. And dramatically. Riku felt his cheeks heat up because while they hadn’t talked in a while, Kairi was still Kairi. And he’d forgotten one crucial fact about her.She could read him like an open book.“You have a crush on someone!” she said excitedly..alternative title: if middle school was a fever dream, high school is absolute hell.
Relationships: Kairi & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: I Love Play Rehearsal [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658089
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	I'm gonna make you po ♡ pu ♡ lar ♡

What followed was high school. Aka, true hell.

While Riku wanted to be excited about it, he couldn’t. More than anything, he _dreaded_ it. In general, really, he dreaded going back to school. Back to the shouts and the pushing. the weird glances others would send his ways, and the murmurs that would follow him. The only real consolation he had was that, with the pass of the years, they’d become a bit more bearable. Only because Riku learned to ignore them, not because they got any less biting.

In past years, Riku could get away from the dreaded first year of school by simply pretending to be sick. That way, he wouldn’t have to deal with the very obvious way everyone was catching up and excitedly exchanging stories, while he stared at his notebook hoping to come up with a better song than whatever he did during summer. Spoiler: he never did, because school made his creativity commit actual suicide.

But this year he didn’t skip.

One, because Leka was a heartless monster that finally snapped and forced his younger brother to face the reality of life.

And two, because he _really_ wanted to show Sora the new song he’d composed.

He was so excited that he could barely wait. The only problem being that they didn’t have classes together. Maybe because Riku had a few advanced classes.

Thankfully, they did bump into each other in the halls. Twice. Both of which Riku barely managed not to make a complete full of himself.

The first one was in the morning, before the first period, where Riku – sleep-deprived and ready to bail as soon as he could – was met with a cheerful Sora walking towards his first class. The boy greeted him with that blinding metal smile that made Riku’s knees weak. He had been so caught off guard he almost dropped his bag and had only managed to send a small nod at Sora’s way. A giggled followed, which made him want to smack his face straight unto the locker.

The second time, however, Riku was prepared. This time, he _did_ wave – and he refused to acknowledge the way Sora’s friend (Roxas? He thinks his name was Roxas) completely facepalmed noting how obviously awkward he was about it – and gave Sora small piece of paper that was folded exactly three times.

In it, all that said was ‘meet me after class in the theatre classroom’.

He also chose to ignore how Roxas laughed out loud at it.

Really, Riku was starting to become a master at ignoring stuff.

After a whole day of being ignored and pushed in the hallways, Riku finally reached the haven that was the theatre classroom. The same old smell of dust and humidity in the air welcomed him. It was strange how he’d come to love such a strange smell, simply by having such precious memories attached to it.

By the time he flicked the lights on, Sora was already there. Curled up in a corner, his cell phone in hand as he watched some video.

“What you find?” Riku asked, throwing his bag unto the ground. It fell with a soft plop since he didn’t have anything aside two notebooks and a pen inside.

“Riku!” Sora beamed.

He got up from his place with a jump and shoved his phone unto Riku’s face. Blinking, he managed to catch glimpse of what Sora was trying to show. He had to step back a bit and gently take the phone in his hands.

“It’s a Broadway musical for The Lion King!” Sora said. He was jumping up and down, unable to hide how much he was glowing from the video. “I spent the entire summer watching Broadway musicals and isn’t it amazing Riku?! You get to dance and sing and do all these amazing tricks! Roxas says it’s not that interesting, but you get it, don’t you?! There’s music, so I thought you’d get it! Wouldn’t it be amazing to act in front of such a large audience?”

Riku was trying his hardest to split his attention but it was getting hard. Usually, he’d be far more interested in whatever Sora was talking about. Unfortunately, Sora really did hit the mark on this one. The music was amazing, the effects were breath-taking, matching the symphony before his eyes to a near-perfect degree. The parade of colours danced in front of him, as the actors and the puppets moved seamlessly through the stage. Without meaning to, Riku began tapping his leg, listening closely to try and imitate the sounds with whatever music instruments he currently knew how to play. Then the video changed. It was another Broadway show, and Riku’s eyes went wide when he recognized it.

“I know how to play this one,” he said. Sora stopped his rambling about the acting dead on its track. His eyes shimmered as Riku slowly got up.

“Really!?” Sora exclaimed, excited. Riku didn’t miss the way Sora’s eyes sparkled as he moved towards the piano.

“Really,” he replied. “I’m a little rusty, but I can play it.”

It was the Little Mermaid, after all. One of the first songs he learnt to play, simply because it was the easiest thing he could find in the booklet of his piano lessons. Never in his life had he been so glad about learning a song out of pure boredom. It wasn’t exactly difficult, but he’d make a fool of himself during the day already. If he could pretend, he knew what he was doing, at least in front of the piano, Riku would take it as a win.

As soon as Riku sat down and his hands placed on top the keys, all worries vanished. He began playing with ease, feeling the music slowly move up unto his fingers, flooding unto the room.

“You think you can sing?” Riku asked. When he turned towards Sora, he was surprised to find the boy completely still. With eyes filled with as much glitter as the pens Sora used.

A quick nod followed.

“I-I took lessons! D-during summer,” Sora stammered, hurrying to stand on the stage. “You’ll really play it!?”

Riku wasn’t sure why Sora looked so surprised by the act. Was it really weird for him to let Sora practice with him? With a hum, he nodded.

Sora beamed, his face lighting up. Riku coughed loudly, hoping it would help hide his blush. They began playing.

The first notes Riku played were all over the place; awkward in the tempo, and his hands were so shaky he missed a few notes. He stopped midway, breathing as he cursed internally. Surprisingly, he managed to pretend he was just warming up. He tried again, but Sora missed the cue. They both laughed.

Sora was fiddling with the hem of his shirt, something that could be easily missed if you weren’t paying attention. A sure sign of worry. Riku could understand. Even if it was just practice, getting nervous about performing with an audience was normal the first time around. Even he, who had already performed once or twice, had his hands all sweaty. For Sora to be such a wreck…he could relate.

The third time, Sora followed the cue but stuttered in the third word. Riku missed shortly after and they had to stop again.

“Sorry, I keep messing this up,” Sora said. His voice was strangely quiet. Riku had grown used to the upbeat timbre that spilt whenever Sora talked to him. For him to sound so down…

“It’s whatever,” Riku replied. He watched Sora’s deadly grip on his shirt loosen. “You can do it. It just takes time. I’ll be here for as long as you need to get it right.”

A small nod. Sora breathed in as if to mentally trying to calm himself. A couple of seconds went by, and he opened his eyes.

Riku began playing.

Sora came in on time, even if he stumbled a bit. Riku didn’t stop this time. He continued to play, even when Sora was off-key, or if the boy stuttered his words. Then, halfway through the song, Sora finally let go of his shirt and moved.

Much like he had seen in the video, Sora began walking along the stage. His arms stretched opened; his face finally relaxed. The sound of his voice flowed. No longer rigid, as if just singing. The little bits of acting began showing through. A yearning, a desperation. It felt almost real, and he realized, Sora was getting _better_ at acting. Enough for it to show through the clumsy singing.

Riku picked up the pace. 

It was imperfect, in more ways than one. Riku still missed a few notes, Sora went off-key several times and Sora almost tripped when he tried to take more than three steps. It was very much what you’d think of when someone said, ‘school play’.

But, for some reason, when they stopped neither could care. They stared at each other; eyes wide full of surprise. Sora’s face broke into a gigantic grin that showed the neon colours of his braces, and Riku felt the corners of his mouth twitch up.

“That was _so_ cool!” Sora shouted. “We did it, Riku! It sounded amazing--- I can’t believe that was my voice? It was almost good! Do you think we can do it again? Please, please say yes! I will do anything, please Riku!”

A bubbling sense of laughter came forward. Sora was so excited he was near glowing. It was both, incredibly silly, and incredibly endearing. At that point, there was no force on this earth that would have made him say ‘no’.

“Of course I will. You still need practice,” Riku commented. His fingers went to play the tiles once more. “If you wanna be on Broadway one day, that’s it.”

The shining starlight smile that Sora sent him, was a close treasure Riku would make sure to cherish.

* * *

The theatre teacher was surprised to see that Riku joined the club again. But in all fairness, so was Riku.

It wasn’t as if he suddenly cared for theatre. He still kept his music score notebook in his bag and did his math homework when there was no need for him to be on stage. Truly, the only reason why he was even there, was Sora.

Being with him was a type of ease Riku couldn’t find elsewhere. Sora didn’t treat him like a freak and constantly wanted to stay with him late and practice.

And Riku would have been perfectly content being a wallflower in the class, had it not been for Sora saying his name that one time.

“Riku knows how to play.”

“What?” Riku asked, raising his head from the music notebook in his hands. Through the eyes of his classmates, he searched for an answer. He hadn’t been paying attention to whatever the teacher said.

“We need someone to play the piano for cues and ambience in the play!” Sora explained. “Can you do it?”

His first instinct was to blurt out a solid NO. But, to be honest, he was on thin ice. The teacher wanted nothing more than a reason to fail him. And him refusing was more than a good enough reason.

Besides, it was Sora who was asking.

Reluctantly, he closed his notebook.

“I could try.”

The teacher got him a stool, so he was more comfortable playing. Which was a relief. After the absurd growth spurt he got during the summer, all the chairs felt a bit uncomfortable. If he was going to play the piano for an hour, he wanted to, at least, do it without suffering back pain.

The job was easy enough. Play certain sounds when the characters were supposed to enter the scene, sound effects and the like. Nobody would have played particular attention to him if the idiot of _Demyx_ hadn’t decided to be stupid. Like always.

“All I’m saying is that I don’t know what kind of animal the pink panther is! I mean, it looks like a hybrid between a cat and a dog. What the hell is that?!”

He was asking that to Larxene, probably meant to be a private conversation. But Demyx was always _loud_. When he said it, everyone heard. Silence immediately fell, and everyone stared at the stage, where the two were.

Perhaps if it had been anyone else, Riku wouldn’t have even cared. But a few weeks ago, Demyx had called Sora a ‘sissy’ for wearing hair clips and bracelets, then called Riku his boyfriend. It made Riku’s entire face heat up, in anger and shame. A small grudge was born, even if Sora had tried his best for Riku to let it slide.

What followed, was a joke. His body moved before he could react. It was completely out of Riku’s control. He did it instinctively, out of nothing but gut reaction.

He played the Circus Theme Song.

It was for five seconds. Enough for everyone to burst out laughing, and for Riku snap out of the muscle-memory movement.

For a second he felt bad. Then he remembered it was _Demyx_ and he got over it.

Riku thought nothing of that incident, but afterwards, things changed. As if ice had been broken, now the piano was a way for Riku to say what he meant, without having to _actually_ interact. Small things at first: like playing the keys instead of saying ‘here’ during roll call or when someone asked where he was. It was a fun little gimmick.

The surprising thing, however, was that people seemed to like it.

People began joking with him and laughed whenever Riku used sound effects to joke around. He had no idea why everyone laughed so hard when he played ‘moonlight sonata’ the time the teacher told Larxene she was failing. Even _she_ grinned, which was creepy on its own. He also had no idea why they found it charming the time he pranked Sora with the notification sounds, so he’d check his phone.

It was really weird.

But perhaps, the weirdest thing was that Kairi was now standing in front of him, all grinning and happy, two weeks after the first day of class.

“Riku!” she cheered as she took his hand. “It’s been a while.”

“Ugh, it has,” he replied, shifting his eyes towards everywhere but Kairi. “You needed something?”

Kairi was his friend, in the broadest sense of the word. They shared mats in kindergarten which was as close as a wedding back in the day. He liked her well enough. But ever since middle school, she had grown increasingly popular. She was the girl to be invited to all parties, the girl every guy crushed on, the one who had an influx of friends that seemed to just grow the more she smiled.

If life were a movie, she was the Bianca Stratford or the Sandy Olsson of the school. A picture-perfect girl, flawless in every way that mattered.

In everyone’s mind, she was an _actual_ princess. Including in Riku’s. After all, she was one of the few people that didn’t treat Riku like a disease. They didn’t speak this past few years, simply because of the very different social circle – specifically, Riku’s _lack_ of a circle – but it seemed something had picked her interest this time.

He couldn’t help but dread it.

“You changed…a bit,” she replied. He noticed voice had grown increasingly sugar-coated in the time they spend in different circles. He decided it was better to ignore it.

“Yeah, middle school happened,” he said with a deadpan. She laughed, which was starting to worry Riku. Why did everyone suddenly start thinking he was funny?

“I get it,” she replied. “I joined the music club, hoping I could see a familiar face there, but you weren’t there! What happened? You quit?”

“Not exactly…” he said. “I joined the theatre club.”

“Theatre?” she asked, completely puzzled. “Why would you go into theatre-”

She gasped. Loudly. And dramatically. Riku felt his cheeks heat up because while they hadn’t talked in a while, Kairi was still Kairi. And he’d forgotten one crucial fact about her. 

She could read him like an _open_ book.

“You have a crush on someone!” she said excitedly. He had never seen her so happy about something. And even if she didn’t say it particularly loud, Riku still shushed her. Unsurprisingly, it earned him a laugh. “I didn’t think I’d see the day you were actually _crushing_ on someone! How are they like? Do I know them-? Of course I know them, I know everyone. Tell me? Please?”

Riku debated internally if he should tell her or not. On one hand, Kairi may act like a princess towards everyone, but Riku knew she was kind of a brat. At least to him, who she’d known since diapers. The teasing he would endure if he told her, was going to be unparalleled.

On the other hand, however.

“You’re gonna find out even if I don’t tell you,” he said.

“I totally will,” she replied quickly. “But I’m your friend! Can’t you share this with me? I could help!”

“Please don’t,” he sighed. After a pause he said. “…It’s Sora.”

“Sora!?” she yelled. In panic, Riku placed his hand over her mouth.

“Don’t scream!”

She sent him a glare and promptly licked his hand. It would have fazed anyone _but_ him. He knew Kairi’s antics by heart.

Still.

“That’s so childish,” he sighed. It made Kairi still.

He let her mouth go.

“Yeah…” she said slowly. Her eyes shifted towards the edge of the room. Riku felt her unease, but before he could think of something to make it better, she started talking. “Anyways! I can help!”

“Help with what?” Riku asked.

Kairi’s eyes gleamed. 

“Help getting your guy, of course!” she said.

“My what?” Riku asked, eyes going wide in confusion. “I don’t need help with that!”

She stared for five entire seconds and then deadpanned.

“Riku, you totally do,” Kairi said, eyes looking up and down him. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re really handsome but…You could work on your image.”

As if sent by angel’s to stop his misery, the school bell rang. Startled, Kairi began taking things out of her locker and rushing to shove everything inside her bag.

“But it’s true! I can help you! And I will! That’s what friends are for!” she said, closing her locker. “Meet me at my house after school! You won’t regret it!”

For some reason, Riku felt like he would.

* * *

He was only half-right.

“I still don’t get why you want to do this,” Riku sighed, looking at the enormous pile of clothes that Kairi was throwing unto the floor.

“Because you’re my friend!” Kairi replied, digging through her closet for all kind of shirts. “And friends help each other, don’t they?”

“In theory,” he said, picking up one of the checkered shirts that were laying around.

“Besides, I just can’t stop myself when someone needs help,” Kairi continued. From behind a box full of shoes, she picked out a magazine. “And _trust me_. You need all the help you can get.”

“Why?” Riku asked with a sigh. “It’s just clothing…”

“It’s not _just_ clothing!” Kairi intervened, jumping to get up. “We need to give you a makeover!”

“A makeover…” Riku replied slowly, giving Kairi a face.

“You need a one-eighty, Riku,” Kairi explained. “You need to look so hot that no one will be able to _ignore_ you! Sora will **have** to like you!”

“I don’t know…” Riku said, shifting a bit awkwardly on the chair. “You think that’ll work?”

“Of course it will!” Kairi said excitedly. “If you become the most popular guy in school, you’ll have anyone you want!”

“Popular?” Riku frowned. “How am I supposed to be popular? Have you seen me?”

“Oh honey, I _have_ ,” Kairi said with a hand on her hip. Riku rolled his eyes. Kairi laughed and let her voice go back to normal. “Don’t worry. You have me! I am a master at this. Call me, Master Kairi, actually.”

“Absolutely not,” Riku laughed, throwing a pillow her way.

Effortlessly, Kairi dodged it. As if not even bothered, she reached to flip through the pages of the magazine.

“I’ll teach you everything! What sports you should play, what clubs you should be in, what clothes you should wear, how to flirt and talk to others!” Kairi continued to chipperly say.

“You’re having way too much fun with this,” Riku commented, spinning a bit on the chair he was sitting on.

“More than you can imagine,” Kairi said. Her eyes were gleaming like a child at a candy store.

In a second, she shoved her magazine unto Riku’s face. The image before him was that of a popular singer he’d heard girls fangirl over. He didn’t particularly like his music, but he had to agree it was catchy. Even if the guy’s voice was too autotuned to properly assess how good it actually sounded.

Riku forced the magazine down, raising an eyebrow at Kairi.

“This is the guy every girl is crushing on,” she explained. “If you look like him, you’ll be irresistible.”

“I don’t want every girl to crush on me,” Riku said.

“Well, we have to start somewhere!” Kairi replied, handing him the magazine. “I don’t know what _Sora’s_ type is. But if we start at the most basic, then we can tweak it until something works!”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Riku asked. The more he stared at the picture, the more he felt uncomfortable. It was completely different from everything _he_ was. But Kairi had a point. The guy was _kinda_ good-looking.

“Riku,” Kairi’s voice was warm and kind. He looked up, seeing her smiling as she held a comb in her hand. “People see what you show them. And if they don’t like what they see, they treat you…well, you know how they treat you.”

Riku grimaced. Kairi walked his way and began brushing his hair. The tangled mess, for once in his life, decided to cooperate. It turned silky in Kairi’s expert hands.

“But the thing about being popular is that you control how others see you,” she explained with a bright smile. “If you put just a _bit_ of effort in how you look, then everyone will see how amazing you are! And even Sora won’t be able to turn you down.”

Riku let Kairi begin to apply eyeliner to his eyes. He still felt nervous, like he was exposing himself to the world.

“But what if what he sees, isn’t something he likes?”

“Are you kidding!? As you are, you are one of the most loyal and smart friends I have!” Kairi beamed. “Once I’m done with you, he’ll have to be _blind_ not to think you’re a catch!”

Kairi handed him two shirts. A plain one – that was definitely designer – and a checkered one to throw on top. Then she threw him a pair of skinny jeans.

“I don’t know…” he said. He changed quickly inside her bathroom. “Are you sure I can get someone like him?”

“Like…him?” Kairi asked, a bit confused.

“You know, as pretty as him…” he replied.

“Pretty?” Kairi only seemed to grow confused. “Riku, I know you like Sora a lot…But you do know he’s not exactly _popular_ either, right?”

“He isn’t?” Riku blinked in surprise. This was complete news to him. “But he’s so _bright_ , and cheerful! He’s friends with everyone!”

“I mean, he’s _cute_ and all…” Kairi said. Even through the door, Riku could hear her nervous laugh. “Everyone knows him and likes him. But they don’t hang out with him outside school, really.”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“He’s _weird_ , Riku,” Kairi replied. “He dresses like he’s in the eighties and only talks about theatre and Disney! He’s nice, but…Not exactly ‘boyfriend’ material.”

Riku frowned as he straightened his shirt. That sounded off. How could anyone not _like_ Sora? The boy was all sunshine and rainbows. Regardless, he stepped out.

In all honesty, Riku was expecting for Kairi to start laughing as soon as she saw him. He felt strange in the new clothes. Like a stranger in a new skin. He was all stiff as he played with the hem of his shirt.

But to his surprise, Kairi gasped.

“Riku!?” she exclaimed, rushing to stare at him closer. “Oh my god, it’s really you!”

Riku caught a glimpse of his reflection on Kairi’s full-body mirror in the corner of her room. A small part of him cringed as he stared.

“I look ridiculous,” he said out loud.

“You look beautiful!” she replied quickly, to what Riku glanced at her with suspicion. “Seriously! If you weren’t my best friend, I would be in love with you already!”

Riku doubted it.

“You think Sora will like it?”

“If he doesn’t, I swear the guy has no taste,” she replied. “I still think you could use a haircut.”

Riku reached for his tips.

“Sure,” he replied. His hair was getting too long for school regulations either way, and it was starting to get in his field of vision. If he could escape school rules one day, he’d truly let it grow as much as he wanted. But for now, Kairi was right. He needed a haircut. “Think you can cut it?”

The excited squeal Kairi let out was endearing enough to make Riku laugh.

* * *

The next day, Riku was a complete mess.

He’d gotten out of Kairi’s house with a bunch of shirt and jeans to fill an entire wardrobe. Some of them were Axel’s (Kairi’s brother) old clothes, and some others…Kairi refused to tell him how she got them. It got him wondering.

Regardless, it was strange to see his closet filled with so much colour, even if they were mostly neutral and earthy. All he’d ever owned, after all, were black and grey hoodies with the occasional graphic tee thrown in.

But now, he was filled with so many options that morning, he barely could choose. In fact, he didn’t choose. He had anxiously messaged Kairi, who told him exactly what he should wear, assuring him it looked good.

Again, he wasn’t sure if he should trust her judgment. But Kairi was very good with fashion if the rumours he’d heard about her being a mini fairy-godmother were anything to go by.

Truth would be proven as soon as he stepped inside the school.

There were a few murmurs that surrounded him and some stolen glances that felt a bit too curious. Riku didn’t want to know if they were good or not, so he simply tuned them out. He ignored everything from getting to school to reaching his locker, to arriving at first period. Pretending that he couldn’t see how everyone was staring at him worked perfectly, until the roll call.

“Riku?”

“Here.”

The silence fell. All he heard was a very faint sound that reached him only by pure luck.

“Wait, what the fuck?” from a boy in the back of the room.

The murmurs in the air just continued.

* * *

Riku was nothing less than glad when he finally reached the theatre club. His eyes wandered through his classmates, seeing everyone’s eyes go wide in confusion. Again, he ignored them and sat down by the piano, where Sora was sitting.

A quick look over the boy’s shoulder gave Riku a familiar sight.

“Frozen?” he asked with a grin. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Riku!” Sora cheered as he took out his earphones. He whipped his head to stare at Riku but froze mid-sentence. “Riku?”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, trying his best to at least _act_ like he wasn’t freaking out.

“You look…different,” he pointed out. Riku couldn’t determine if Sora thought it was good or bad different.

“Yeah, Kairi practically forced a new wardrobe on me,” he said.

“Kairi?” Sora’s eyes widened. “Princess of Light Kairi?!”

Princess of Light was what the title given to the homecoming queen. It was _yet_ to be held, but everyone already knew she was going to win.

Riku chuckled out loud.

“She’s a brat,” he replied without a second thought. “A true princess, I guess?”

Sora looked up and down at Riku, confused.

“And your hair?”

“They were going to yell at me to cut it either way.” He shrugged. “What? Looks weird?”

Sora finally snapped out of his neutral expression. He offered Riku a bright smile, blinding with its metal braces.

“Not at all!” he assured. But Sora was too kind to tell him it looked _bad_.

Riku wanted to throw this entire plan down the toilet.

Kairi, of course, wouldn’t let him. She continued to insist that things would work out, eventually. According to the rumours she caught wind off, Riku’s new appearance was received with an overall positive reaction. So, that must mean Sora thinks so too, right?

Despite how weird it felt, Riku continued to play along with Kairi whim. Mostly, because _they kind of worked_. 

At her insistence, he got into the basketball team and began working out. With his growth spurt, he managed to get more or less good at it. Which gave him a very good reason to invite Sora to hang out after school – aside from theatre practice.

He wasn’t gonna lie, having Sora cheer for him in the bleachers made him all kind of giddy.

Kairi also insisted he start talking to people _other_ than her and Sora. Just so he didn’t seem like a complete loser that only had three friends. And yeah, _fair_. He could get where she was coming from.

Mostly, he talked to Demyx. As much as the guy was a complete infuriating asshole, he knew stuff about music. That alone made him much more bearable than 70% of the school’s population. And he didn’t mind whenever Riku insulted him, so he could get back at him for all those things he said to Sora. Also, talking to Demyx mean inevitably talking to Larxene. Riku had to admit, once you got used to her insulting you every two seconds, she was kind of okay.

This made them change their target of harassment shift from Sora to Riku. He couldn’t begin to explain how grateful he was for this. Riku had a thick skin and now could handle about any insult thrown his way. Sora, on the other hand, seemed to be very uncomfortable by those comments.

“Hey, Riku! Having fun with your _boyfriend_!?” Larxene laughed from the classroom’s door.

“Fuck off, Larxene,” Riku replied, tossing a crumbled-up paper towards her. It effectively made her flip him off before they exited the classroom. He turned to Sora. “Don’t mind her. She’s just pissed Marluxia hasn’t asked her out to the homecoming, and she’s lashing out to anyone she can.”

Sora let out a loud sigh of relief.

They were both sitting by the piano, sharing earphones as they watched vine compilations in Sora’s phone. It was already empty, even when it was still technically class time. The teacher left early.

Much to Riku’s surprise, though, Sora didn’t immediately climb onto the stage to start practising. Instead, he asked to speak to Riku after class. His face, when he said so, was serious, even worried, much unlike the usual demeanour he carried. Riku didn’t hesitate to agree.

Now that the class was empty, Sora seemed to grow even more anxious, playing with the hem of his shirt. There was something strange about him. He’d stopped wearing hair clips, and his clothes were now neon shirts with jeans. Nothing like the adorable outfit he used to wear back in middle school.

“I…kinda wanted to ask you about something,” Sora said. “I mean, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to! I get it’s not really that important, -t but still, you’re Riku-! So I thought m-maybe I could tell you…or m-maybe I c-could…”

Sora hid his face behind his bangs. Now that there were no hair clips to hold his hair out the way, it happened more often.

“Sorry, I’m rambling,” Sora said. His voice was small, tiny like a firefly in the sky.

“You’re not,” Riku said with a smile. “What did you want to say?”

“Riku, y-you like boys too, right?”

The words shouldn’t have made him as nervous as they did. Despite himself, Riku blushed, feeling the heat from his palms to the base of his throat.

“Y-yeah, I do,” he said.

The loud beating of his own heart almost overwhelmed him.

“S-so, there’s this guy…” Sora began. His voice was all trembly, face beat red. Riku was torn between looking away and staring forever. Sora was cute, _too_ cute. Riku’s heart would leap out his chest if he continued to look at him, but it was also too much of a precious sight to ignore. “…I know him, since…well, since a while back and…Recently I, kind of, re-realized he’s _super_ cute?”

“Oh yeah?” Riku by the pure grace of god managed not to croak. His hands were trembling.

 _‘You see?’_ he could almost hear Kairi teasing. _‘I told you it’d work!’_

Sora nodded.

“Yeah…and I get sooo nervous when I’m around him! But he’s also my friend! And if I tell him this, he’ll probably hate me!” Sora said, squeezing his eyes shut. “He’s so different from me. A bit awkward around others, but that just makes me like it more when he’s kind to _me_!”

“I don’t think anyone could hate you,” Riku answered earnestly. “He sounds…dumb, to be honest.”

Sora laughed. Cheerful fairy laugh that had Riku sucking in air.

“He kind of is,” he said with a dopey smile. Sora tried to hide it with the paws of his long-sleeved shirt. “I guess I like dumb boys?”

Riku’s heart stammered.

“I’m sorry, I’m dropping all my problems onto you,” Sora said, letting out a sigh. “Ahh, my heart is beating so loud!”

 _Mine’s too_ , Riku wanted to say. But he couldn’t. The words were completely stuck inside his throat.

“Things are easier when you’re on stage,” Sora said, looking at the platform before them. “If I could just-! Act! Follow a script that told me what to do! But noooo, I have to deal with these-, emotions! All on my own!”

“I get it,” Riku replied. “Emotions are dumb.”

“I know!” Sora said loudly, dropping his weigh to the side. He laid on the ground, looking up to the ceiling. “I wish I could just-! Say it!”

“Maybe you should,” Riku replied. Sora stared at him. “Right now? Maybe? It’d help?”

 _Abort, abort._ He wasn’t even sure what he was _saying_. All he knew his chest was aching from how nervous he was, and from how pretty Sora looked sprawled out in the dirty classroom floor.

“Say…his name?” Sora asked.

“Yeah, it’ll help,” Riku continued. “Get it off your chest?”

Sora’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

“You’re not allowed to laugh, okay?” Sora asked with a seriousness that made him endearing.

“Okay,” Riku breathed.

“Or say I have bad taste!” Sora continued. “He’s really sweet, okay!?”

“Okay,” Riku repeated.

Sora breathed in. It was a moment filled with tension and silence. Sora looked in the middle of an extreme dilemma, wrestling with himself for words.

“I-It’s…” even if it was just a word, it came out chopped and full of stutters. “…R-Roxas!”

Riku blinked.

“Roxas?” he repeated.

With Sora quick nod, a bucket of cold water ran down his body.

“Isn’t he-,” Riku began. All the emotions that had been blooming inside him, suddenly turning to coal. Anger. Hatred. Regret. Sadness. “-a dick?”

“He’s not!” Sora defended. “He’s really nice! He walks me home every day and takes me to eat ice-cream with him!”

Riku didn’t know what to say. How to react or act. So, he listened. Even if it hurt more than anything he’d experience before.

“He would never hurt me, you know? At least, not intentionally. I’m scared he will feel like he _has_ to date me if I confess. But if he turns me down, I don’t even know how I’ll feel…”

“No one could turn you down,” Riku said.

Sora laughed.

“You’re just saying that!” Sora smile began slowly fading away. “I would be easier if I never fell for my best friend.”

That was the snapping point. Riku really couldn’t take it after that. And, thankfully, his phone ran in that exact instant.

“It’s Leka,” Riku said. “I have to go.”

“It’s alright, Roxas will come pick me up when he’s out of class,” Sora said.

 _Of course he will,_ Riku thought to himself.

“Bye,” Riku said, curtly.

“See you tomorrow!”

* * *

“This whole thing was stupid from the beginning,” Riku said, tossing the stupid shirt at the ground. Kairi eyed at him with pure worry. He didn’t like it.

“I’m so sorry…I didn’t know he liked-,” Kairi sighed. “If I had known, I never would have forced you to act like this.”

“It’s my fault,” Riku replied, letting his body drop unto her bed, right next to where she was sitting. The silky pink sheets felt like heaven against his heated skin. “It was obvious Sora would never like _me_.”

“Oh, don’t be like that…” Kairi tried to say. “You’re very handsome, Riku. Sora’s just dumb for not realizing it.”

Kairi sat there, stroking Riku’s hair as he stared at the ceiling. He felt like shit, ready to completely give up on everything. Ready to just, throw everything out to the window and mope for as long as an eternity.

“You could play,” Kairi offered. “My brother’s away. He still has his guitar. That always cheered you up.”

Writing music sounded like the best option at that moment. So, he did.

They sneaked inside Axel’s room and stole his old guitar. Riku played to Kairi for a long time. His fingers grew accustomed to the movements in no time. Before long, Riku was composing, aimlessly as Kairi did her homework and reorganized her desk.

They stayed like that all afternoon. Until Axel came back and told Riku to ‘get out of his little sister’s room’. They moved to the living room, but Axel never asked for his guitar back.

Riku really must look even more pathetic than how he felt.

When it was finally time for him to head back home, Kairi hugged him. A tight, fraternal hug that reached Riku’s very core. He returned it, awkwardly since now he was about half a head taller than Kairi.

When they parted, he blurted out.

“I’m quitting the theatre club,” he said.

“What?”

“I’m going back to the music club,” he said with a shrug. “I never wanted to be there in the first place.”

“But Sora-,” Kairi tried to say.

“He has Roxas. He’ll be fine,” was all Riku trusted himself to say. “See you in music, I guess.”

Kairi gave him a little pout but relented.

“See you in music.”

* * *

Changing clubs wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was acting like it didn’t hurt like hell. The hard part was trying his best to put distance between him and Sora. Mostly, because Sora just didn’t let it die.

He still went to the basketball matches, and still cheered. He still greeted him in the halls, even when all Riku did was nod his way. He still smiled widely at casual conversation, when Riku’s heart finally grew weak and wanted to talk to Sora no matter what.

But the effort eventually dimmed down.

For some reason, Larxene and Demyx began hanging out with him, which caused Sora to get scared. He avoided Riku every time he was with them. It didn’t take long for Larxene to let Riku hang out with the entire gang. The Organization XIII. Idiots truly had bad names for their little text group.

He hung out with Kairi at music club and after class. Mostly, because she was the only one Riku could truly open to. And as to why Kairi hung out with him…that was truly a mystery. Maybe she was just _that_ kind. Willing to hang out with someone as weird as Riku, who only knew how to play music and nod whenever someone said something funny.

Regardless, he was grateful.

It helped ease the pain, whenever he saw Sora laughing by Roxas’ side. It made it a little bit easier to bear when he went to the school play so he could watch Sora play Romeo.

It made things a bit better. But not completely.

What a _wonderful_ way to spend his first year of high school.

**Author's Note:**

> /throws glitter unto the air/
> 
> everyone in the previous part: aww this is so cute and pure! pls continue it?
> 
> me, who had plans of derailing it into angst BEFORE i even started writing this fic: .....
> 
> next part is pure sora angst so ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ


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